


Valentine's Day Mystery

by DoubleH11037



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: F/M, Romance, Slice of Life, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 03:08:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29361528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoubleH11037/pseuds/DoubleH11037
Summary: Valentine's Day is drawing near and Kaede is really looking forward to spending it with Shuichi. Unfortunately, it seems he seems to have some sort of grudge with the particular date, but he doesn't want to tell why. It's going to be up to Kaede to solve the mystery, for better or worse.
Relationships: Akamatsu Kaede/Saihara Shuichi
Kudos: 27





	Valentine's Day Mystery

# Valentine's Day Mystery

It was the Sixth of February and Valentine's day was just around the corner. I was so excited! It was the first Valentines that took place ever since Shuichi and I started dating. He confessed to me in autumn of last year and I couldn’t be happier.

To my surprise, from the very start, Shuichi turned out to be very romantic. You might not expect it from someone as shy as him, but he would often plan cute dates and give me small gifts that proved how much he cared about me. That’s why I was actually looking forward to this day, because it would give me the opportunity to make a meaningful gift to him in exchange. However, on the Sixth, he had something unexpected to tell me:

“Hey, Kaede… you know next week is Valentine’s Day, right?”

“Of course! I’m so excited! I’ve been looking forward to spending the whole day with you. We can go on a date, I'll gift you chocolates and-” he lifted his palm in front of me in order to respectfully quiet me down. I was left with my mouth open wide.

“I have a favor to ask of you, Kaede. It’s a very important favor. On Valentine’s Day… I don’t want you to gift me anything. As a matter of fact, I’d rather we didn’t spend the day together at all. It’s nothing personal, I just want to spend the whole day by myself.” I was completely flabbergasted.

“By yourself? Why? I don’t understand...” he avoided my gaze for a moment.

“It’s just… Valentine’s day is not a good day for me. Let’s just leave it at that.”

“Just leave it at that? You can’t say something like that and expect me not to have questions! Shuichi… I’m really concerned. This sounds… strange. What happened to you during Valentine’s Day?” he looked at me with weary eyes. The kind of eyes an older person would have, the eyes of someone who no matter for how long they lived, they couldn’t forget the things they'd seen.

“I… I’m sorry Kaede. I know you’re concerned and I appreciate it. But… if you care for me, I’m asking this to you as a favor. Please. Don’t ask me about it. Don’t mention it. Don’t give me anything on Valentines. I’ll still give you chocolate on White Day, you don’t have to worry about that. I have no problem with White Day.” as soon as he mentioned he didn’t like Valentines day, I couldn’t help but be skeptical. Maybe he was just shy about recieving gifts and he made it up as an excuse. But at this point, it became obvious something deeply wrong happened to him in the past.

“But… I can’t take anything from you on White Day if I don’t give you chocolate on Valentines…” he gave me a small smile.

“It’s okay. I don’t need you to give me anything. If you want to make me happy, just… let the day pass. Will you do that for me?” It was a hard promise to make. Shuichi had a point… if I wanted to respect his privacy, the least I could do was give him some space. However, no matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t help but feel something was wrong. Despite everything, in the end, I said:

“Okay… if that will make you happy… then I’ll do it. I won’t give you anything or mention Valentine’s Day.” he gave me a soft, warm hug.

“Thank you.”

I tried to stop thinking about it in first period, but despite my best attempts, I couldn’t shake the thought out of my head. I texted my closest friends and Kokichi to see what they thought.

“did he really say that? weird…” said Kaito.

“maybe he got dumped on valentines day lol” “just like him!” said Kokichi.

“I dunno, Kaede… maybe you should leave him alone. That’s what he asked you to do, right?” said Maki.

“but I can’t just let him be!” I said. “he sounded like he was in pain… ;n; what should I do?” a few moments passed before anyone typed anything in chat. 

Finally, Kaito began typing.

“well! then it’s obvious what u gotta do! u gotta investigate!👍”

“huh? can I really do that…?”

“of course! you’ve seen Shuichi do it, right? it’s not that hard! I know you can do it!!! 💪” I lifted my eyes temporarily from my phone. A glint of determination shined inside of me.

“you know what? you’re right! :D it’s my turn to be the detective!”

“hey, Maki. will you help me out with my investigation?”

“Huh? Why me…?”

“c’monnn plssss T_T you’re my best friend!” a few seconds passed before I   
received Maki’s response.

“Ugh… fine. Just don’t make me do anything embarrassing, okay?”

“yay! 🎝 thank you!”

“Sure…”

* * *

All of us, Kaito, Maki, Shuichi and me would later meet during recess, as we did most days. I gave a wink to Maki, she responded with one of her constant sighs.

“Maki and I are going to have lunch by ourselves today, okay? We have girl’s stuff to talk about!” Shuichi seemed mildly surprised.

“Oh… Okay. Have fun.” I gave him a kiss on the cheek. Maki and I left.

“Okay, so… what’s our first step?” Maki asked me.

“I’ve been considering it. No one in our group seems to know anything about the incident. That means it happened before we came into the Academy. The only other person who could know something about it is… Kyoko Kirigiri.”

“The other Ultimate Detective?”

“Yeah! Shuichi and her are pretty close. Since both of them are detectives, they relate in a different way than we do. Perhaps, if the Valentine’s Day incident is crime related, she might know something about it.” Maki placed a finger on her chin.

“That makes sense. I guess it’s worth a shot.”

“Yeah! Let’s go.”

We searched the school where we thought the students from the 77th class hung out. Fortunately, we found Kyoko on the courtyard with little trouble.

“Hi, Kyoko!” I greeted.

“Hello. Kaede Akamatsu, is it? What can I help you with?”

“You see… something strange happened with Shuichi recently. He told me he didn’t want to hear anything about Valentine’s Day. Do you know anything about it?” her eyebrows tensed slightly as she adopted a defensive disposition.

“Why do you want to know?”

“I… I’m worried about Shuichi. He probably mentioned we’re dating? I don't want to be nosy, but if something happened to him in the past… I need to know. If he’s in pain… I can’t let him be on his own. I want to be there for him.” both Maki and Kyoko, under their respective cold appearances, seemed to have been touched by my words. Kyoko briefly closed her eyes, thinking, before she communicated her response.

“I understand your feelings. I… may or may not know about the incident you seem to be alluding to. However. Shuichi is my friend and I can’t easily betray his trust. At the same time, I will admit you’ve earned my respect as a detective for attempting to unbury the truth no matter the consequences. Given these circumstances…” Kyoko thought deeply, almost frozen in place. “Very well. I’ll give you a clue. But nothing else.” my chest exploded with joy.

“Really?! Thank you so much!”

“I’m only going to say it once, so pay close attention:” she leaned her lips closer to my ear. “Mukuro Ikusaba. The 16th student, lying hidden somewhere in this school. The one they call the Ultimate Despair. Watch out for her.” 

I was considerably confused.

“What?” she softly snickered to herself.

“Forgive me. That is a small inside joke between Shuichi and I. I’ll tell you the hint for real:” she leaned onto me again. “Taeko Maehara. This name: look it up.” she leaned back and grabbed her chopsticks again. “That is all I’m telling you. Whatever happens from here on out is your responsibility. Good luck.” fidgeting, I gave her a gentle bow. Me and Maki left the place.

“Taeko Maehara? Doesn’t sound like the name of a student from the Academy.” said Maki.

“Perhaps she was Shuichi’s first love? Or someone involved in a crime?”

“If it’s this serious, she might’ve been the victim of a crime. You should look for information regarding that name.”

“Alright! Let’s meet at the library after school and we’ll look it up on the internet.” Maki made another sigh.

“Why do I have to come for this?”

“C’mon, Maki! Every detective has their assistant! It’s an essential part of an investigation.”

“Whatever… you’re lucky to be my friend.” I smiled. I had become used to Maki’s aloofness, but deep down we both knew I would do the same for her. Even though this whole investigation seemed trivial… I felt glad to have Maki on my side.

Maki and I met at the library as we agreed, in order to research the name “Taeko Maehara”. The first results were a series of news reports. As soon as I saw her photo, memories from that case flooded back into my head.

“Oh god! I remember now. Taeko Maehara. She’s that girl who disappeared, do you remember? From the news?” Maki became tense.

“Yes… I do. That case was pretty big at the time. We must’ve been children, but I do recall seeing her face on the TV.” I clicked on one of the articles.

“This article is from 2006… Taeko Maehara. Only child of a young couple in Tokyo, 9 years old. Seemingly, she disappeared one day after school. She always came back home on her own, but one day she wouldn’t come back.”  
“Strange… do you think Shuichi knew this girl?” I was briefly silent.  
“It’s possible… either he knew her, or his uncle must’ve investigated her case. Maybe both. Either way, Shuichi must’ve had some kind of proximity to this case.” I smiled while raising my clenched hands, triumphant. “Alright! We found our first clue.”

“Yeah. But now what? Should we ask Shuichi’s uncle? You said he coud’ve been related If this was such a big case he should know something about it.”

“Maybe… but I’d like to find some more information first. Let’s see what else we can find out.”

Maki and I would spend the rest of the afternoon browsing articles on Taeko’s disappearance. As we suspected, the incident became infamous due to the extremely adorable, photogenic little girl. According to the police, no evidence proved guilt of any suspect amongst the little girl’s social circle. Some theories pointed to the parents themselves having faked a kidnapping, or having killed and disposed of their own daughter. What was particularly strange was that no ransom note was ever found. It seemed a particularly defining trait of the case was the giant mystery surrounding it. There was little to no physical evidence found. As we looked at more modern articles, it seems little progress was made through the years until the media completely forgot about Taeko.

I read at the name of Taeko’s school. Blackroot Elementary… I suddenly remembered something.

“Oh! Blackroot Elementary! That’s the same name as Sayaka Maizono’s former high school. It must be a branch from the same school.”

“That sounds highly probable.” responded Maki. “You can ask her tomorrow.”

Sayaka and I were casual friends, due to the fact both of us had music related talents. She even came to sing to one of my concerts. The next day, I would ask her directly during recess. As soon as I mentioned the name, her face went pale.

“Oh yeah… Taeko. Of course I remember her. We went to the same school. We didn’t go to the same class, but everyone knew her from a distance. She was just… so cute. She had one of those faces, you know? One of those very particular faces. Everyone who knew her agreed she was special, yet she was also able to blend in a crowd…” I was breathless after Sayaka’s testimony.

“Wow… so what happened after she disappeared?”

“Well… our teachers simply told us her family moved. That’s what adults tell children when something like this happens. But we couldn’t avoid hearing the reports on TV, so eventually everybody knew. It was… really frightening, honestly. To this day, one of my greatest fears… is being abducted.” 

Right… as the Ultimate Idol, Sayaka was a coveted celebrity by people all across the country. It was no wonder she was afraid of something like that. I wondered in my head, how did she live with that fear, what measures did she use in order to make sure she wasn’t kidnapped in her day to day life? 

“Oh, don’t worry, Makoto always carries me home after school. He’s such a sweetheart, he doesn’t mind.”

“Huh?!” I gasped out loud.

“Are you wondering how I knew what you were thinking? It’s easy! I’m a psychic!” I became frustrated.

“Jeez! Stop doing that, Sayaka! Every time you do it, you really freak me out…”

“Ha, ha, ha… sorry. Still, why are you so curious about Taeko?”

I told her everything about Shuichi and his situation.

“Ah! Well, I don’t know which elementary school Shuichi went to, but I can assure you it wasn’t Blackroot. I’m pretty sure I would remember him, by name at least.”

“Yeah… I had a feeling. Oh well. Thank you for the help, Sayaka!”

“Anytime!”

At this point, I had gathered a decent amount of information… I knew Shuichi’s incident was somehow connected to Taeko Maehara, the girl that disappeared fourteen years ago. It was safe to assume his uncle might have participated in the investigation and by extension him as well. But what did that have anything to do with Valentine’s Day? The mysteries kept piling up… it was clear at this point if I wanted to make any breakthroughs I would have to ask Shuichi’s uncle directly. There were six days left until Valentine’s Day. I was texting Maki after school, thinking what our next move would be.  
“I need to ask Shuichi’s uncle… but I don’t know when! he doesn’t have any extracurriculars, so I don’t know exactly when he’ll leave the house…”

“Hmm… maybe you should come up with an excuse for him to leave?”

“no. and I can’t drive him out myself, because it would make me look suspicious… :O I know! how about you ask Kaito to invite everyone to karaoke or something?”

“That sounds like a good idea. What day?”

“saturday should be a good day. I can pretend I’m busy for whatever reason, then visit his uncle while he’s out.”

“Okay, sounds like a plan. I’ll let him know right away.”

“thank youuu Maki! you’re a great assistant ^^ ♬♬♬〜”

“Don’t thank me.”

I smiled. Everything was coming together. Surely Shuichi’s uncle would be able to reveal everything. The next day, at school, Kaito would propose everyone to go to do karaoke.

“Ah, dang! Sorry Kaito, can’t do! I’m really busy this weekend, haha.” Kaito pretended to be upset a little more than necessary.

“Really, Kaede…? No way! That’s so sad…” Maki gave him a subtle elbow hit.

“Oof! It’s okay. You should still come, Shuichi!” Shuichi squinted his eyes suspiciously at Kaito, then at me. I became nervous. Did he figure it out? I knew Shuichi was quite perceptive by trade. Still, he sounded normal during his response.

“Yeah, alright. Sounds good. Are you sure you won’t be able to come, Kaede? Will you be busy the whole weekend?”

“Well… only on Saturday!”

“Oh. Then why don’t we go karaoke on Sunday?” we all attempted to hide our shock.

“Ahh! Now that I think about it, I’m busy on Sunday too, haha! I have an upcoming concert and I really have to practise for it.” Shuichi squinted his eyes once again. I thought I was busted. But instead, he said:

“Oh, really? That’s too bad. Will I be able to see you at some point during the weekend?” he seemed earnest in his request.

“Yes, of course. I’ll try to make sure to make some space for you, alright?” he smiled.

“Thank you. I’m glad.”

It seemed like he didn’t suspect a thing. Either that… or he was too polite to mention it. I hoped Shuichi didn’t feel betrayed, or would feel betrayed if he found out. I knew this was a very important matter to him… But I was too deep by that point to turn back. That day, after school, we would go to the train station together, as always. We were both a little quiet. All of a sudden, he broke that silence:

“I feel bad that you must miss karaoke. I know how much you love karaoke.”

“Oh, well! You know how it is. I really need to practise if I want to make sure the concert is a success.”

“I wish we can both go together soon. I love to hear you sing, it’s amazing!” I blushed.

“Hahaha… I wouldn’t say I’m as good as playing piano. But yeah, I guess I’m okay at it.” he smiled.

“No, I mean it. You’re a very good singer, Kaede. It’s only logical, since you’re so gifted with music, but every time I hear you sing, I feel something special… like I’m listening to the clear song of a swan in the middle of a crystal lake.” my face only became redder.

“You say such cute things…” I gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you.” we both went silent for a while. “Are you… sure you don’t wanna do anything on Valentine’s Day?” he suddenly went pale.

“...Yes. I am sure.” my heart wilted.

“But why? What hurt you? I don’t want you to suffer in silence… not when I could be there with you.” he turned to me. I couldn’t interpret the meaning behind his expression.

“Kaede… I… really appreciate your feelings, but I’m fine, really. You don’t need to worry about me.” I thought the phrasing was a little odd.

“I don’t need to worry because you’re fine? Or I don’t need to worry because you don’t want me to worry?” he looked aside for a brief moment. He furrowed his brow.

“I’m just fine.” he said, in the most neutral possible tone he could muster. I hanged my head low. I stopped pressing him on the matter.

* * *

Saturday finally came. It was four days before Valentine’s Day. I felt determined to discover once and for all the secret behind Shuichi’s pain. With a heavy heart, I pressed the doorbell of his uncle’s detective agency.

A few seconds later, a woman’s voice, Shuichi’s aunt responded: 

“Who is it?”

“Hi Mrs. Suzuki! Is Shuichi home?”

“Oh, hi Kaede, you sweetheart. No, I’m sorry, Shuichi left with his friends. But he should be back any time soon. Do you want to come in?”

“Yes, please!”

Shuichi’s aunt prepared tea and cookies for me. Fortunately for me, his uncle, Saburo Suzuki, was there as well. After serving the tea, Mrs. Suzuki sat on the coach and said:

“Thank you for taking such good care of our nephew. He’s always speaking so highly of you.” I blushed. That was a very “mom” thing to say, even if she was merely his aunt.

“Yeah! I’ll never stop being amazed at how a knucklehead such as Shuichi ended up with a fine young lady such as yourself! Ah, ha, ha, ha!” Mr. Suzuki said. Mrs. Suzuki scolded her husband as I tried to contain my laughter. Mr. Suzuki was always being condescending towards his nephew, but it was very clear to anyone who knew them both he was very proud of him.

We made small talk until I felt it was the right moment to mention the case. I had to be cautious, make it seem like a casual topic, so they wouldn’t suspect it had anything to do with Shuichi.

“By the way! I remembered a case from the news, the other day… the disappearance of Taeko Maehara.” Both Mr. and Mrs. Suzuki were stunned at the same time. So they knew something. “Do you remember anything about that case, Mr. Suzuki?” he crossed one leg over the other. Though subtle, it was clear he was studying me with his eyes.

“Why, yes. I remember that case very well. As a matter of fact, I did participate in the investigation.” I feigned surprise.

“Really? That’s amazing! Were you hired by the family in order to look for the girl?” Mr. Suzuki let out a soft chuckle to himself. I was taken aback. What was he thinking, right there and then?

“You know… if you wanted to snoop behind the boy’s back, you could’ve picked a different moment. If, say, you visited while Shuichi was here and waited for him to be gone for a moment, it would’ve been much more inconspicuous. I would've been discreet, because I wouldn't want to mention that case around the boy and he wouldn't have found out.” I was completely shocked. Mrs. Suzuki looked angry.

“Saburo!”

“Hey! I’m not scolding the girl, just giving her friendly advice! If I didn’t know any better, I could’ve mistaken this for an innocent visit and I would’ve told Shuichi all about it. You didn’t come here, unannounced, on a Saturday, to ask random questions about a ten year old case, did you Kaede?” I hanged my head low.

“No… I’m sorry.” he let another soft chuckle.

“Don’t be. It’s only natural that you worry for the boy. You obviously care for him very much.” I lifted my head back up.

“Really? Will you tell me about Taeko, then?” his face made a grimace.

“I could tell you about her, but… what are you going to do with that information? I noticed you were acting suspicious, and I don’t even know you that well, young lady. Surely the boy already has already noticed something, but he’s being too polite to mention it.” my suspicions were immediately confirmed.

“So it’s true… Shuichi knows I’m trying to figure out the mystery. Why didn’t he question me, then? uncle and aunt looked at one another, unsurprised.

“Because he would never do that to you, honey.” said Mrs. Suzuki. “Questioning you would only raise tensions. There is little he can do if you truly want to find out the truth. He doesn’t want to get in your way.” I looked aside.

“Yeah… that’s true.”

“That is why I was asking.” said Mr. Suzuki. “If you learn the truth, there is no turning back. You’ll go explicitly against Shuichi’s wishes if you find out what happened in the past. There is no way you’ll be able to hide it from him. Knowing that, do you still wish to find the truth?” I briefly peered into my teacup, contemplating. I had barely wetted my lips with the drink. I took a single sip. I made my decision.

“Yes. I want to know.” I looked at Mr. Suzuki directly in the eyes. “I won’t allow Shuichi to suffer alone. Even if I have to go against his wish. That’s my decision.” Mr. Suzuki gave me a swift nod.

“Very well. Then I shall tell you the story.”

He got up from his seat and lit a cigarette. He looked briefly outside the window, contemplating the outside world before he started his story. In his eyes, it was truly like he was travelling to a different time.

“It all started when Shuichi began living in this house. That happened when he was 8. He was… scared, being in a completely different environment. Pretty normal for a kid his age. But soon enough he would meet someone that completely changed his life. A little girl about his age by the name of Taeko Maehara.” I was completely shocked. So he did know the girl. “She used to be the girl next door. Her parents were often busy, so she would come often to play with the kid. The two of them became closer than nail and skin. Personally, I wouldn’t go as far to say she was his first love, but… it was clear she was like a sister to him, at the very least.” Saburo Suzuki’s face went somber. “Then, it happened. One day, as good as any, Taeko Maehara vanished from the face of the Earth. Her parents were in a panic. No apparent clue was evident from the scene or the witnesses. I was only one unit of a full team consisting of the police and other investigators who were looking for the girl. The boy himself insisted on joining me on the work.” he placed a hand on his forehead. “But alas… we couldn’t find her.”

“Huh? But… how is that possible? I was under the impression you were one of the best private detectives in the world.” he looked at me surprised. He let a loud, hearty laugh. Mrs. Suzuki looked ashamed.

“Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha! Now, where on Earth did you get that idea from?” I blushed.

“I… Well… Shuichi always speaks very highly of you, sir…” he looked back at the window.

“Heh. No surprise. He’s a good boy, that Shuichi. He thinks so highly of his uncle. But anyways. For obvious reasons, this was a very important case for the boy. He couldn’t think of anything else. He even wanted to cut school to work on the investigation, but I wouldn’t allow him. It was perhaps the first moment I noticed the spark of his genius. And yet…” he turned back from the window and slowly stepped back to sit on the coach. He positioned himself eye to eye with me. “You know what happened, don’t you, Kaede? By now, you must already know the conclusion of this case. What happened to Taeko Maehara?” my breath was cut.

“She… was never found.” Mr. Suzuki slowly nodded.

“There is no greater fear for a detective… not mangled bodies, not revenge plots, not moral conflicts… nothing is more horrifying than finding no answers. We never got even close to comprehending the fate of Taeko Maehara. She could be alive, living in another country. She could be dead. She could’ve been kept alive for years before she died. Sadly… we may never know.” Mr. Suzuki looked at me with different eyes, dropping his story teller tone. "This is not a never before seen case, you know? Dozens of people disappear every year without the police ever finding out where they went. The only difference in this one is the news coverage. If you ask me, that was particularly nasty of those news networks… practically each one of them took advantage of the story of a poor little girl, spouting it over and over even when there were no details to be added… shame."

I was shaking. I gripped my sides in silence after Mr. Suzuki’s tale. Then I understood Shuichi’s pain. The one thing I didn’t know yet was… the connection.

“But… what does this have to do with Valentine’s Day? Shuichi told me he didn’t want any presents, or even see me that day…” Mr. Suzuki raised his eyebrows.

“Oh. So that's what this is all about. I see.” he made a deep frown as he looked aside. “The reason for that would be… Taeko’s parents. They did something terrible. Something I have not forgiven them for to this day.” I was taken aback. I did not expect Taeko’s parents to have anything against Shuichi. But the answer became immediately apparent. “Days before the disappearance of Taeko… she bought a box of chocolates for Shuichi in advance. It was early, she actually asked her parents to buy it a few days in advance. Several months after her disappearance… Taeko’s parents essentially gave up. When it was clear Taeko would probably never come back… they thanked me for my efforts and they gave the box to Shuichi. They wanted to give it to him as the last gift from their daughter. But then, the boy said: ‘I won’t eat the chocolates until I find her!’. Hope can be… a terrible thing. A crazy ideal man clings to in desperation to deny the impossible. For the following years… Shuichi would try fruitlessly, again and again to solve the mystery. And again and again, he would fail. A team of highly trained adults never found Taeko Maehara. How could one kid, no matter how brilliant, ever do it? Ever since then, the box of chocolates has been lying inside a mini fridge… each year, the chocolate getting harder and harder as its color becomes paler and paler. As far as I’m concerned… that’s the real, decaying body of Taeko Maehara.”

I was completely shattered after hearing Mr. Suzuki’s tale. I reached a hand to my face as tears began streaming down on it. Mrs. Suzuki quickly came to my side.

“Oh, dear…” I whimpered in silence.

“I… had no idea… he was in such pain.” Saburo Suzuki’s lips formed a quiet smile as he gave another glance through the window.

“No one ever does. Every man and woman by themselves is an island with no bridges until they try to reach someone. Or until someone decides to reach them.” he looked back at me. “You should probably leave soon before the boy comes back.” I wiped my tears. I nodded, solemnly.

“Yes, I should.”

“What are you going to do now? Are you going to let the boy be alone on Valentine’s Day?” I carefully considered my answer.

“I’m going to do… what I gotta do.”

* * *

Four days later, I was ready to enact my plan. I met Shuichi that morning at the school’s entrance. I gave him my sweetest, brightest smile.

“Good morning, Shuichi! How are you?” he seemed a little confused, but not exactly put off.

“I’m doing good, thanks… what about you?”

“I’m doing good as well, thanks! Can I follow you to class?” I knew he wanted to be alone that day, so I had to be very mindful of my distance. Fortunately, he seemed okay with the simple request.

“Sure thing. Absolutely.” I was glad.

I walked alongside Shuichi to class, but he quickly vanished at the end of third period. I asked the gang if any of them had seen him.

“Not at all…” said Kaito. “Do you think he went to have lunch by himself?” a lump formed on my throat.

“Yeah… probably.”

“Do you want me to look for him? I’m pretty good at playing hide and seek with Saihara.” said Kokichi. I smiled at him.

“No, that won’t be necessary. I’ll better let him be for now.” a faint shade of sadness briefly took over the group. Still, moments later, Kaito gave a wide grin to Maki.

“So, hey Maki Roll… do you have anything for me, today? Ehehe.” Maki looked both embarrassed and furious at the same time.

“You’re not supposed to be so coy about it… idiot.” she responded.

“But it’s true, isn’t it?” he said, as he got closer. She went silent for a few seconds.

“Yes…” she pulled a small box out of her bag. “Here. Take it before I change my mind.”

“Awesome!” said Kaito, as he took the box.

“It’s homemade, by the way… so you better appreciate it.”

“Really? Aww! You’re simply the best, Maki Roll.” he said, as he gave her a small kiss on the forehead. She looked at him in quiet adoration. I laughed, happy to see my closest friends like that.

Most students in our class had gathered on the same hallway to make similar exchanges. Tenko was fluttering around Himiko, while Himiko herself attempted not to notice her.

“Himikooo! Yoohoo〜! I have something for you!”

“Nyeh… of course you do. What is it?” he handed over a large, garish, heart shaped box.

“It’s chocolates! Happy Valentine’s Day!” despite Himiko’s usual reticence with Tenko, she looked pleasantly surprised at the size of the box.

“Wow… it’s so big…” Tenko blushed.

“I-it’s just as b-big as my love for you!” she fidgeted, amazed at herself for being able to say that.

“Well… you’re lucky I really like chocolate… thank you.” Tenko looked extremely happy. It was perhaps the first time Himiko ever said “Thank you” to her.

“I have a gift for you too! Ehehe.” said Kokichi.

“Nyeh?!”

“Hey! Himiko will not be accepting any gifts from filthy, degenerate males like you! Rightç?”

“But my gift is unlike any other! It’s a very special recipe… why don’t you taste it, Himiko?” he handed her a thin, dark chocolate bar wrapped in tin foil. She eyed it curiously. Finally, she braved to have a bite. Her face suddenly went red.

“Bleugh! Hot chilli?!!” Kokichi immediately laughed.

“Nee-heehee! I told you, it’s my very special recipe! Did you like it?” Tenko looked ready to toss Kokichi up to the stratosphere. Himiko spent several seconds chewing the chocolate before she swallowed. Then, she looked thoughtful.

“Hmm… not bad, actually.”

“Huh?!” Kokichi seemed surprised.

“It would taste better with black tea and spongy bread. Ha! Joke’s on you, Kokichi! I actually liked your chocolate.” he looked annoyed.

“Hmph! Who said it was a joke… maybe I actually wanted you to like it.” Himiko looked hopeful. She placed a hand on her chest.

“Really…?” Kokichi cupped her cheek with his hand, in front of everyone.

“But of course.” Himiko looked like she was in a dream. She closed her eyes, leaned over Kokichi’s face to kiss him, but to her surprise, he had taken a single step back. She opened her eyes.

“Just kidding! It’s a lie!” he promptly began to run just before Tenko gave chase to him. Ah, Kokichi… “He’s never going to change” I thought.

Several more exchanges took place between the students in my class. Gonta, who had misinterpreted the meaning of Valentine’s Day, gave a small pouch of beetle shaped chocolates to everyone. My heart was warmed at his adorable naïvete and kindness. Rantaro, quite popular with the girls, received his own share of gifts with an awkward smile. Miu gave chocolate to Keebo as well, which had a very… “unusual” shape. Embarrassed, Keebo turned it back, reminding Miu he couldn’t eat food anyways.

As I quietly observed my classmates, I thought… how I wished Shuichi could be a part of this. Finally, at the end of recess, he returned.

“Hey! There you are! Where were you?” I tried to sound innocent, instead of reprimanding. Shuichi didn’t seem bothered.

“Um… you know. Around.” I nodded.

“Cool, cool! Hey, Shuichi. Can we go home together, after class?” he seemed a little surprised.

“...Of course. That’s what we do every day, right? I wouldn’t trade that for anything.” I put my hand on my heart as my lips drew a smile.

As we were on our way home, I told Shuichi all about our classmates’ Valentine’s Day shenanigans.

“Ha, ha! Sounds about right…” he answered. “What an odd bunch we are, when you think about it.”

“Ah, ha, ha! Yeah…” I sneakily took Shuichi’s arm. He seemed slightly put off.

“Hey, Shuichi! Would you like to come to my house today for no particular reason? I bought a special box of traditional cookies I think you would really like.” Shuichi went silent.

“Kaede… you know what day it is, right? It’s Valentine’s Day.” I feigned surprise.

“Oh, really? Wow! I didn’t even notice! Ha, ha, ha.”

“You remember your promise, right? You promised me we wouldn’t do anything special on Valentines.” my disposition didn’t change.

“Yeah. You’re right. Sorry, I forgot.” I let a small pause before I said anything else. “Still… we could just hang out. It doesn’t have to be romantic or anything, I just want to be with you.” Shuichi kept avoiding my gaze.

“I told you. I want to be alone on this day. Please, I beg you to understand it.” I hanged my head low.

“Yes… I’m sorry.” Shuichi looked back at me. He attempted to comfort me by grazing my arm.

I played things as normal until we reached the train station. It was almost time for Shuichi to part his way.

“Well… thank you for being with me today, Kaede. I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?” my smile remained on my face.

“Yup! See you tomorrow, Shuichi! I love you.” I gave him a brief kiss.  
“Thanks. I love you too.” he was in the process of turning around when he noticed I didn’t let go off his hand. He looked at me, confused. “K-Kaede?” my smile still remained on my face.

“Shuichi… I’m sorry.” without warning, I wrapped my arms around Shuichi, clinging onto him with all of my strength. He seemed surprised.

“Kaede?! What are you doing? Let me go!” he resisted, both distressed and embarrassed. He was always like this when I… *cough* pressed my chest against him. It was no less awkward for me. But still. I wouldn’t let him go.

“I won’t… let you go.” my voice shaked. “No matter how much you beg me… no matter how much you resist… even if you hate me. I won’t let you be alone! Not on this day!!!” the train finally arrived. Some people awkwardly turned around us after the scene we were causing. Hot tears flew from my eyes into Shuichi’s shoulders. “I won’t let you… I can’t let you be alone in pain… I don’t want you to be alone… I want to stay… with you…” Shuichi was silent. He had stopped struggling. We spent some time in this state, until he gently pushed me back so he could look at me in the eyes. I allowed him, but I wouldn’t drop my grip on him. He looked filled with remorse.

“Let’s… sit on a bench, alright?”

I agreed. I gripped his hand as we sat on a bench. We were both looking in front of ourselves, heads hanging low. Finally, I broke the silence.

“I… I know everything.” he flinched. “I know everything about that girl. I know everything about…” I leaned over to whisper in his ear: “Mukuro Ikusaba. The 16th student, hiding somewhere in the school. The one they call the Ultimate Despair. Watch out for her.” he immediately burst into laughter. The laughter was contagious and soon I joined him.

“I see… so, Koyoko told you, right?”

“Not really. She only gave me a clue. She said she couldn’t betray your trust. I went through a whole investigation in order to find out.” he looked at me, impressed.

“Wow. You did all that for me? Huh… What was it like?” I laughed, awkwardly.

“It felt… exciting at first. But it was painful, unburying the truth. You were right. Being a detective is hard. Now I understand how it feels like for you.” Shuichi looked wistfully into the distance.

“I looked for her… every day. Every week. Every summer. Until the whole world forgot about her… but not me. Every year, on Valentine’s Day I remember her, once more.” he closed his eyes, with a grave look.

“Is that fine with you? Wouldn’t you rather forget?”

“Jeez, no. I’d rather never forget. As long as someone remembers her… she’s still alive. Somewhere.” he peered into the sky with his grey eyes. Almost as if, even in that moment, he was still looking for Taeko Maehara.

“Did you love her?” I asked. He looked at me, a bit awkward. I snickered. “It’s okay! You can tell me. I don’t mind not being your first love.” he turned his gaze once more.

“We were both very little. I never understood her feelings for me. They say girls mature earlier than boys. I know that now. But still… something changed inside of me when she was gone. Like a muscle instinct. I knew I had to find her, because… she was the most important person in the world for me.” I gently tightened the grip on his hand.

“She sounds like a very dear person for you… I would’ve loved to meet her.” he snickered.

“Yeah. You would’ve.” I rested my head on his shoulder as I put my second hand over his.

“Shuichi… please. Come to my house today. Not because it’s Valentine’s Day or anything. Do it for me. I can help you. You don't have to be alone. You don't have to be burdened by bad thoughts. I just want you… to be happy.” he fell silent once more. This time for a long, extended period of time. I wondered what he was thinking. Finally, he said:

“Do you know what happened to her?”

“Huh? No… no one knows, right?” he looked up.

“Oh, I know.” I was shocked. “For someone to disappear with absolutely no trace… she was most likely disposed, either dipped in a vat of acid or fed to a wood chipper.” I covered my mouth, horrified. “Either that, or she could’ve been shipped to a foreign country, most probably sold to someone either as an adopted daughter or… something else.” he made a pause, the unholy implication lingering in the air. “People don’t disappear for good reasons, Kaede. I didn’t even grasp the whole reality at the time, but… as I’ve grown older, I’ve become more and more aware of Teako’s ultimate fate. If she’s alive…” he looked back at the sky. “I wish she was alive, but I may never know.” he suddenly put on a deep scowl. I gasped. It looked like there was a deep anger seated on him. “Back when it first happened… I felt so small. So powerless. I knew she was somewhere out there in the world, but a mere child like me couldn’t possibly search the whole of it. It was impossible. The size of the world… it was too daunting. It made me scared, thinking of the huge rift between Taeko and I.” he closed his eyes, as his anger faded. “In the end, I had to accept it. She was gone. Her memory is my only consolation, but… it’s also the reminder of my greatest failure.” I leaned my face closer to him.

“It wasn’t your fault, Shuichi. You were just a child. Your uncle and the police did everything they could… it’s not any of yours’ fault.” he was silent.

“I know. But… I can’t stop wishing I could go back. To see her once more… to touch her once more… She was my best friend. She meant as much to me back then… as you mean to me right now.” I was shocked. I blushed, as he turned to me.

“Kaede… I love you. Ever since I met you… ever since we started dating… I’ve never been happier.” I smiled. “I’m sad Taeko is gone. But at the same time I’m happy you’re with me right now.” I sensed his usual warmth come back to his body.

“Then come to my house. You’ll always be welcome there. Let’s make new memories so you don’t have to wallow in sadness.” He took a deep breath. He nodded. He whispered, in a very hushed tone:

“Okay. Thank you.”

He slowly leaned his face over mine. He kissed me. I closed my eyes. I gently pushed my lips, savoring the moment very quietly. I opened my eyes. He gave me a very tender look, like I was the most precious thing in the world. At no point was I ever jealous of Taeko… but that moment, I wondered what it would be like if she was still alive. Even though I never met her, after talking with Shuichi so much about her… she felt like an old friend. Perhaps that’s the meaning of true love.  
I messaged my parents, excusing myself for my tardiness and Shuichi messaged his uncle, telling him he would spend the afternoon with me. Fortunately, I already told my parents Shuichi would probably come home. I unboxed the traditional cookies I bought as Shuichi, my parents and I sat around the table. We talked and laughed about anything as we spent our time together. Shuichi was always just slightly awkward with my parents. It was odd to him seeing families different than his own, parents who lived with their own children. I hoped he considered us part of his family. I would later invite him to sit on the sofa with me, where I would huddle closer to him. He looked very happy.

Finally, when he was about to leave, on the hall, I said:

“Hey, Shuichi… um… you don’t have to take it if you don’t want to, but… I have a gift for you. You’re not obligated to accept it, if you don’t want it, I’ll understand.” a sudden glint appeared in Shuichi’s eyes.

“No… you don’t have to worry. If it comes from you, I’ll gladly accept it.” I smiled, excited.

“Great! Okay, here it is.” I blushed lightly as I gave him my gift, a small, heart shaped box of chocolates. He examined it curious, as he took it, as if it was a strange, unusual item. He turned it to one side and the other, then he finally opened it. Inside, there were 16 chocolates, 4 of each different type with their unique color and shape.

“They look very good.” he said. He picked one of them and put it in his mouth. Slowly, he began to munch it. Quickly, tears began to well on his eyes as he slowly chewed the chocolate. I was immediately concerned. He looked pained, sick, almost disgusted… but it didn’t look like he was forcing himself to do it. It seemed for Shuichi that eating that piece of chocolate in front of me was a matter of great importance.

Finally, after several seconds, he finally swallowed it.

“It tastes really sweet… thank you, Kaede.” I hugged him tightly. Seconds passed, as I basked in his warm embrace.

“Happy Valentine’s, Shuichi.”

A moment of silence.

“Happy Valentine’s, Kaede.”

**Author's Note:**

> Wow! I created this work on March of last year. I've been waiting for an entire year to post it, so long I actually forgot until now. It was a pleasant surprise to revisit, especially since I've had trouble working on my other fics. Looking back on it, I like it, I love seeing Kaede on the investigator role, not to mention being the protagonist. I've been holding onto more stuff too, I think it's about time I think of showing those off as well. I'm *so* excited to publish it.
> 
> Thank you very much again for reading my fanfic! I hope you enjoy it and I wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day, no matter how you spend it. Until next time!


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